A plethora of penguins 🐧 

Last month I won a pair of tickets to the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show from Dots n Stripes.  Although I knew the fabric stash was getting a little bulky, I trundled along for a day out with Mum and, unsurprisingly, managed to find some have-to-have fabrics.

You’re shocked, I know!

I actually did most of my shopping at the Dots n Stripes stall, purchasing three different knits and a copy of Ottobre magazine, full of childrenswear patterns.  One of the knits was used for the starry Skater dress; the next was a lightweight, penguin print sweatshirting, from 1.5m of which I’ve managed to squeeze 2 projects.

The first was another Tilly and the Buttons Agnes top. I have very little new to say about this, other than it does apparently work in sweatshirting fabric so long as there is a reasonable amount of stretch. Mum was rather horrified that I was buying it for me, but I am thoroughly enjoying wearing it!

I thought that would be it for this material but then looked at what I had left combined with the Ottobre mag and decided that I should be able to squeeze more out of it, and why waste such a great print?

I chose the parachute top in Katie’s size (she’s a tall 4 year old). 

I eyed up the pattern pieces, remembered to add seam allowance and started blithely cutting into the penguins.  Only to realise I was useless at eyeing things up and didn’t have enough fabric to make the skirt bit!

A message to Nicole at Dots n Stripes confirmed that they’d sold all the penguin fabric at the fair: however she offered to send me some samples of plain coordinating sweatshirting.

I picked a plain navy and as I was adding it to the basket online noticed a remnant of orange jersey. Thinking it might make some nice contrast piping I lobbed that in the basket too.

When it all arrived, I decided that the orange was a much better match than the navy so I cut out of that instead, making the skirt and sleeve bands out of orange and the neckband out of penguins.

Sewing wise, this was really straightforward. Which is good because Ottobre instructions are REALLY concise! I wish I had thought to switch to orange thread instead of navy when attaching the cuff bands but other than that, I’m incredibly happy with this make.

It’s cute, it’s comfy, the recipient loves it: perfect!

I would say that when I’m making for her sister, I will enlarge the neck as we had a bit of a struggle getting it over Katie’s head and Beth’s is much larger proportionately! But other than that I think the size is pretty good.

And she loves it!

All round, an excellent use of 1.5m of fabric!

Now I just need to make her sister something cute!

Becca x